This invention relates to vibrating conveyors, and more particularly to vibrating conveyor systems that distribute dry materials from a single source to multiple discharge locations.
To maximize the productivity of food product packaging equipment, product must be delivered as quickly as possible to any packaging machine which signals that the machine needs more product. Such machines are set out in a line which is fed from above by a series of vibrating conveyors that are aligned end-to-end, with a drop gate installed at the end of each conveyor pan. The gate opens and discharges product to the packaging machine when needed. To assure instantaneous product delivery to any of the open gates, the conveyor pans are equipped with level sensing monitors which, along with the signals from the packaging machines, provide the input for a control circuit that decides when to open gates, and when to run conveyors in order to maintain full product levels in each conveyor pan and in each packaging machine. During the operation of the packaging equipment, new product is continuously introduced to the system. When a packaging machine signals for more product, all conveyor pans preceeding the conveyor pan feeding that particular machine must be activated to convey product along the chain of conveyor pans to the pan in need, which opens its discharge gate. When that particular machine' s demand for product is met, the conveyor pans feeding product to and toward it stop vibrating, and the gate of the pan feeding it closes. Each conveyor pan must operate independently of every other conveyor pan because only certain specific pans need to be operated to feed each specific machine. Prior art conveyors have employed a separate independent small motors and vibrating drive mechanism for each conveyor pan. The line of conveyor pans must operate with each pan starting and stopping quickly to satisfy changes in demand from the various packaging machines. This causes short cycles for the separate drive mechanisms and motors for the individual conveyor pans, which results in excessive wear of the machinery and maintenance cost, and increased down time of the packaging line.